1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a remote-controlled transmitter and an information transfer system using it.
2. Description of the Related Art
As has been described in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,537,106, numeric keys or the like of a remote-controlled transmitter are operated to set a recording start time, a recording end time, a recording channel, etc. when it is desired to make a program reservation by the use of a video tape recorder. Further, program reservation information is set using coded G codes (corresponding to program reservation codes developed by U.S. Gemster Development Co., Ltd.).
Meanwhile, such a program reservation must be carried out by examining program reservation information such as times, channels or G codes, etc. from a newspaper, a magazine, etc. and operating the numeric keys or the like of the remote-controlled transmitter based on this examined information. Thus, a program record reserving operation would result in complexity. When this information is kept in mind and the numeric keys are operated in this state, there may be cases where incorrect settings are made.
With the foregoing in view, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a remote-controlled transmitter capable of properly and easily transferring information and an information transfer system using it.
According to one aspect of the present invention, for achieving the above object, there is provided a remote-controlled transmitter comprising:
a microphone for collecting a sound;
signal processing means for generating a control code signal for controlling the operation of a device to be controlled from the sound gathered by the microphone;
memory means for storing the control code signal generated by the signal processing means therein; and
signal outputting means for reading the control code signal stored in the memory means, generating a remote-control signal, based on the read control code signal, and outputting the remote-control signal therefrom.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information transfer system comprising:
an information output apparatus for converting information data indicative of information used to set the operation of a device to be controlled into a sound and outputting the sound therefrom; and
a remote-controlled transmitter for gathering the sound outputted from the information output apparatus to obtain the information data, generating a control code signal for controlling the operation of the device to be controlled based on the information data, and generating a remote-control signal based on the control code signal, and outputting the remote-control signal therefrom.
In the present invention, the information data indicative of the information used to set the operation of the device to be controlled, e.g., program reservation information for making a record reservation by a video tape recorder is frequency-shift keyed and outputted as a sound from the information output apparatus. This sound is gathered by the remote-controlled transmitter to generate a control code signal for controlling the operation of the video tape recorder corresponding to the device to be controlled, based on the obtained information data. Further, a remote-control signal is generated based on the generated control code signal and outputted from the remote-controlled transmitter. In response to the remote-control signal, the video tape recorder makes a record reservation based on the program reservation information outputted from the information output apparatus.